Manager, Community Schools Initiatives

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles’ Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

ROLE SUMMARY

 Alliance’s Manager, Community Schools Initiatives serves as a member of the community schools leadership team and manages program activities to maximize program impact, ensure compliance with all agency and funder regulations, as well as achievement of strategic plan objectives.  Responsible for the implementation, integration, alignment, and coordination of the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) and will lead community school strategy with school sites. Will work closely with local schools, community-based organizations, elected officials, community leaders, and residents to implement collaborative solutions to meet student and community needs.  Will develop and manage two regional consortia across 8-12 schools to improve coordination of grants, programs, and services, which will benefit students, parents, and community members.  The CCSPP supports schools’ efforts to partner with community agencies and local government to align community resources to improve scholar outcomes. These partnerships provide an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. 

The ideal candidate has a collaborative leadership style with a minimum of 4 years’ experience leading school and/or nonprofit program development and implementation, demonstrated ability to develop collaborative partnerships, a successful track record of achieving strategic and project goals and objectives, strong working knowledge of outcomes management principles, and experience with government funding from proposal to final reporting and contract monitoring. The Manager, Community Schools Initiatives, will report to the Director, Community Schools Initiatives in the Alliance Home Office Equity Programs Division, and will work closely with the Community Schools Coordinator at participating school sites, with occasional collaboration and professional development with administrators. The Manager, Community Schools, will plan and align all programs, services, and opportunities collaboratively for the duration of the CCSPP grant and progress monitor. This is a grant-funded role that is anticipated to last until June 30, 2029, but evaluation of funding to determine continuation of the role will happen on a year-to-year basis. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

School Support and Portfolio Management

• Provides regular check-ins and consultation to Community Schools Coordinators at each school in their portfolio

• Serves as a mentor to Coordinators to build the cohesiveness, capacity, and competence of program staff to support their growth and development while empowering them to participate in decisions that affect their work

• Supports schools to execute their overarching vision and long-term Community Schools goals and strategies 

• Manages and supports the implementation of Community Schools Initiatives across a portfolio of schools across the Alliance network

• Engages and supports key school support staff in their implementation of Community Schools initiatives 

• Supports the oversight and execution of programs and services to ensure excellence and measurable impact for both the individuals served and the community

• In coordination with the Director, Community Schools Initiatives and leadership team, is responsible for the development of evidence-based programming that bolsters the community safety net and promotes resilience

Professional Development Design and Delivery

• Co-delivers outcomes-based, relevant professional development monthly to the Alliance CS Coordinator cohort

• Design portions of professional development for CS Coordinators and Parent Engagement Specialists in alignment with the year-long PD arc

• Identifies trending needs for professional development across the portfolio and provides group learning experiences as needed

Goals, Data, and Progress Monitoring

• Effectively leads and coaches Coordinators to meet program and grant compliance goals, including meeting work plan deadlines and deliverables

• Uses data to inform programmatic and operational decision-making

• Works with program leadership and staff to establish and track results for annual program goals and objectives in support of the strategic plan

• Regularly monitors progress to goals, creates and implements plans of action, and communicates roadblocks in a timely manner to the Director, Community Schools Initiatives, in a solutions-oriented way that proposes plans of action

• Ensures the execution of objective program performance standards of accountability within the portfolio of schools

• Owns a subset of the collection and monitoring of evaluation data used to measure ongoing program effectiveness of services and program outcome measures, with an emphasis on their portfolio of schools

Grant Management and Reporting

• Supports their schools’ development of budgets, cost analyses, and forecasts for programs and grant-funded projects

• Works closely with the finance department to ensure fiscal compliance with government funders as needed 

• Contributes to the preparation of high-quality narrative quarterly, final, and ad-hoc project reports for grantors

• Manages internal data collection system, files and tracks documentation for accountability with grantors

• Develop, manage, and coordinate documents needed for internal and external program audits and compliance requirements

• Ensure the timely submission of all required reports and supporting materials

• Works collaboratively with the Director, Community Schools Initiatives, in the completion of government grant proposals

Relationship Building and Partnerships

• Establishes strong, productive, and trusting relationships with the administrative team, school personnel, staff, scholars, and community to seek input on needs and address barriers to learning, equity, and inclusion

• Cultivates collaborative partnerships and builds a coalition of partners 

• Enlists strategic support and fosters alignment across pertinent home office teams in support of schools and scholars

• Work with community partners, public officials, local schools, community residents, and staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, and address community needs

• Work with the partner agency’s leadership team to identify strategic directions for recommendations to the Director and/or school leadership within the portfolio

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Commitment to Alliance’s core beliefs, educational philosophy, low-income communities, and communities of color;

• Excellent communication and media skills, both verbal and written;

• Coaching experience in a school setting

• Understanding of the CA Community Schools Framework

• School leadership experience

• Strong data collection, entry, and analysis skills, in platforms such as Excel, CoBro, and other data systems;

• Entrepreneurial spirit to thrive in a fast-paced and achievement-oriented environment;

• Detail-oriented with excellent organization skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and cultivate relationships with teachers, counselors, school leaders, and other home office departments

• Value in diversity among team members promotes cooperation and interaction within teams.

• Composure in the face of high workload, competing or conflicting demands, ambiguous assignments, interruptions, and distractions

• Ability to recognize and respond to unanticipated events and requirements, and is willing to do what is necessary to get the desired result 

• Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education;

• Understanding of the nuances of urban school environments and school culture;

• Experience managing multiple projects with strong administrative and organizational skills

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

• At least four (4) years of progressive professional work experience leading school-system-based program development and implementation of services for underrepresented populations 

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university 

• At least 2 years of working in a leadership position in a public school or school system

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role, which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100. 

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners. 

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plans options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.

• Retirement: Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor or support applicants on visas at this time or in the foreseeable future.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance’s Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance’s mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate “college-ready” with pride in who they are.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply. If you have questions contact the Staffing Team at JoinUs@laalliance.org.